This gallery includes representations of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ in paintings during the Renaissance period. The Renaissance period is from 1400s to the 1700s. This period was very saturated with christian art and especially of Jesus Christ. The paintings are arranged in chronological order. Some may find the paintings too obscene for young viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.
The Crucifixion, Master of St. Veronica, about 1400–1410, From the collection of: The J. Paul Getty Museum
This is one of the earliest examples of a painting of the Crucifixion during the Renaissance period. One of the most noticeable attributes of the painting is the often seen halo affect around Jesus's head. This is commonly found around "Holy" figures in the Medieval and early Renaissance period. The painting splits the wealthy and powerful from the followers of Christ.
The Crucifixion, Northern Netherlandish Painter, ca. 1480, From the collection of: Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
This representation of the Crucifixion is very interesting considering it's portrayal of the two criminals crucified with Jesus. Often times, they are hanging in the same style Jesus is. This type of crucifixion isn't seen very often. Scholars have given several ways in which crucifixion can take place. The exact way Jesus is crucified is not fully known. This painting is very cluttered considering everything going on in the picture. Jesus is usually the focus of the painting, but He is almost lost in this one. I believe part of he reason for this is that it show that the day of Jesus's crucifixion was just another day for many people.
The Crucifixion, Gerard David, 1506 - 1510, From the collection of: Musei di Strada Nuova
This is a very simplistic representation of the Crucifixion. The loneliness of the moment is very evident. You might also notice the brown halos around the two women. This is not seen very often. It's hard to identify what the brown halos mean, but my interpretation is that they are still "Holy", but that the situation called for a more solemn color to peavey the moment.
Five panels of a retablo: The Betrayal of Christ; The Crucifixion; The Lamentation; Saint Martin as Bishop; Saint Agustine as Bishop, Master of Budapest, between 1470 and 1500, From the collection of: Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
This representation o the Crucifixion is one of the more common during the early Renaissance period. You can see the typical golden halo effect around Jesus and his followers. Skulls and bones at the feet of the cross are another common tribute of crucifixion paintings. The detail in the women's clothing is interesting considering how uncharacteristic they are of that time frame. The clothing more reflect that of the Renaissance period. Maybe it was a way of placing their current selves in a past event. The color scheme is more yellow and of unsaturated to add a more depressing feel.
The Crucifixion, Quinten Massys, about 1515, From the collection of: The National Gallery, London
If you look closely, you can see the woman in the black robe is smiling while looking away from Jesus. This seems to depict her as happy that Jesus died. This is in stark contrast with the other women who are colorfully dressed and weeping. The people that witnessed the crucifixion of Jesus must've had many different feeling such as sorrow, anger, disappointment, shock, but some were happy. Some saw Jesus as a blasphemer and a lier. They believed He deserved what he received. Decide for yourself, but this picture paints in interesting image of emotions.
Crucifixion, Matthias Grünewald, 1523/1524, From the collection of: Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
This painting definitely portrays a gritty and awkward picture. The picture is very messy and something about it just seems off. Often times, painting portray the Crucifixion as very clean. I believe that this is a more accurate example. It's an odd picture. It seems more like night time then the typical crucifixion painting. Many times, one might see a dark background, but there is usually a beam of light coming from the sky. I don't know if that is what the artist was going for, but it seemed to portray night time more then just expressing darkness.
Crucifixion, Grechetto (Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione), Circa 1660, From the collection of: Musei di Strada Nuova
The red is very dominant in this painting. I think this represents how Jesus's blood is on all of our hands. Jesus died our sins. So each of our individual sin is what placed Jesus on the cross. It's a powerful message. I think this painting definitely gives a person a lot to contemplate. Many people could look at this and get several different interpretations. The evolution of the halo effect is very evident in this painting too. It isn't a halo so much anymore as it is simply light shining off of Jesus's face.
The Crucifixion, Pieter Brueghel II, 1617, From the collection of: Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
I personally really like this painting. I think the Crucifixion of Jesus would have been a spectacle for many people during that time. Jesus would have been very well known by that time and He had a tendency to draw a crowd. Jesus made many a claim and It think many people wanted to see if He would actually die or not. Jerusalem is beautifully painted. It gives some perspective of how big the city actually was.
The Crucifixion, Francisco de Zurbarán (Spanish, 1598–1664), 1627, From the collection of: The Art Institute of Chicago
The simplicity of this piece is interesting. It almost makes you think of what Jesus must've been thinking. The painting doesn't distract from Jesus in any way. I don't think people think about what Jesus had to suffer, but this picture narrows everything down to Jesus. An odd aspect of this painting is that their is no crown of thorns on Jesus's head. I'm not sure what the significance of this is, but I'm sure it plays a role in the interpretation of the piece.
Crucifixion, Gabriel Metsu, 1660/1665, From the collection of: Musei Capitolini
As the skills of painters increased over the Renaissance period, the detail they placed in paintings was more evident. The emotion is deeper and the pain more severe. IT is easier to see the pain in Jesus's face and body in this painting. The color of his skin has clearly begun to fade. The detail in this painting also gives it multiple layers and characters. You can really begin to see the emotion and pain each of Jesus's followers are feeling at this point. I like how their isn't any distraction from the background. The background also gives more emphasis to the sun shining through the darkness on Jesus's face.
Credits: All media
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